| | The World Marks 50th Anniversary of Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin's Flight into Space
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A visitor looks at an exhibit during the opening of an exhibition of Soviet space placards at the Museum of modern art in Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk April 12, 2011. Russia on Tuesday celebrated the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's historic first space flight. REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin.
By: Vladimir Isachenkov, Associated Press
STAR CITY, RUSSIA (AP).- It was the Soviet Union's own giant leap for mankind, one that would spur a humiliated America to race for the moon. It happened 50 years ago this Tuesday, when an air force pilot named Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space. The 27-year-old cosmonaut's mission lasted just 108 minutes and was fraught with drama: a break in data transmission, glitches involving antennas, a retrorocket and the separation of modules. And there was an overarching question that science had yet to answer: What would weightlessness do to a human being? "There were all kinds of wild fears that a man could lose his mind in zero gravity, lose his ability to make rational decisions," recalls Oleg Ivanovsky, who oversaw the construction and launch of the Vostok spacecraft that carried Gagarin. The flight was to be fully automatic, but what if weightlessness caused Gagarin to go mad and override the programmed controls? The engineers' solution was to add a three-digit security ... More |
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Early Picasso to Highlight Christie's Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale on May 4
Pablo Picasso, Les enfants et les jouets (detail). Oil on board, painted in spring 1901. Estimate: US$5.5 – 7.5 million. Photo. Christie's Images Ltd 2011.
NEW YORK, NY.- Christie’s announces a special highlight of its Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale on 4 May: Les enfants et les jouets, an extraordinary work by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) painted in the spring of 1901 when the artist was only 19 years old and in his first flush of commercial success. The subject is among the earliest and most elaborate of the artist’s depictions of small children to be finished as a full-fledged oil painting. Estimated at US$ 5.5 - 7.5 million, this brilliantly painted work is the second major oil from this early period in Picasso’s career to reach the auction block this year. In February, Christie’s London fetched US$ 7.8 million (£4.9 million) for the artist’s Sur l'impériale traversant la Seine, a 1901 painting consigned from the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Both paintings are among an important group of works Picasso created in a flurry ... More | | NASA Announces Space Shuttles Going to Florida, California, Suburban Washington
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden speaks to employees and guests. AP Photo/John Raoux.
By: Mike Schneider, Associated Press
CAPE CANAVERAL (AP).- On a memorable day in space history, NASA began its goodbyes to the shuttle program Tuesday, announcing the aged spacecraft will retire to museums in Cape Canaveral, Los Angeles and suburban Washington and sending a test-flight orbiter to New York City. It was an emotional day — the 30th anniversary of the first shuttle launch and the 50th anniversary of man's first journey into space by Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. Just two more shuttle flights remain, and the head of NASA choked up as he revealed the new homes for the spacecraft in an event at the Kennedy Space Center. "For all of them, take good care of our vehicles," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, a former astronaut, said with a catch in his voice. "They served a nation well, and we at NASA have a deep and abiding relationship and love affair with them that is hard to ... More | | Mikhail Baryshnikov-Owned Russian Painting Sells for $746,500 at Sotheby's in New York
The 19th century painting of St. Petersburg that Mikhail Baryshnikov purchased decades ago sold for $746,500. AP Photo/Sotheby's.
NEW YORK, NY (AP).- A 19th century painting of St. Petersburg that Mikhail Baryshnikov purchased decades ago, and depicting the Russian city he loved, was auctioned Tuesday for $746,500 to benefit the famous dancer's New York City performing arts center. The proceeds from the Sotheby's sale will go toward new programming at the Baryshnikov Arts Center. A German private collector placed the winning bid by telephone for "View of St. Petersburg" by Petr Petrovich Vereshchagin. The pre-sale estimate for the cityscape was $300,000 to $500,000. Baryshnikov recently donated the painting to the center's foundation so it could sell it to raise money to develop new programming from theater directors, musicians and choreographers. Baryshnikov serves as artistic director of the center that he founded in 2005 as a "creative laboratory" and performance space for multidisciplinary artists ... More |
 | Jordan Creates World's Largest Online Antiquities Database at Cost of $1 Million
Jordan's archaeology chief Ziad al-Saad speaks during a press conference. AP Photo/Nader Daoud.
By: Dale Gavlak, Associated Press
AMMAN (AP).- Jordan on Tuesday launched the world's largest online antiquities database, which details every archaeological site in the country and aims to help preserve its treasures. Its creators said the Web platform could be a model for Iraq, where looters have plundered its ancient heritage. Experts said the Middle Eastern Geodatabase for Antiquities is the first such countrywide system. The site uses Geographic Information System, similar to Google Earth, to map 11,000 registered sites in the country — and a click on each reveals inventories of what they contain and reports on their conditions. The public can use the material for planning visits. Scholars and inspectors approved by Jordan's Antiquities can update the information in a user-friendly way for other professionals to follow and for authorities to keep track of threats ... More | | Kentucky's Speed Art Museum Reveals Expansion Design Plans Designed by wHY Architecture
Rendering of Speed Art Museum expansion exterior. Courtesy of wHY Architecture.
LOUISVILLE, KY.- The Speed Art Museum has unveiled the design for a major expansion and renovation of its facilities, encompassing 200,000 square feet of new and renovated interior and exterior space. Growing out of the Museum’s long-range master planning process, the Speed commissioned wHY Architecture—led by Kulapat Yantrasast, working with his partners Richard Stoner and Yo-ichiro Hakomori —for the project. The design includes the construction of two new buildings, both of which will link directly to the Museum’s existing structure and unify the Speed’s facility, which has grown sporadically over time. The Speed is uniquely positioned to serve as a cultural hub for the city as it is sited adjacent to the University of Louisville campus and the city’s busiest pedestrian thoroughfare—more than 5,000 people walk by the Museum site each day. The new structure to the north of the Speed& ... More | | Russian Businessman Evgeny Yurchenko Buys Vostok 3KA-2 Space Capsule at Sotheby's
The Vostok 3KA-2 space capsule flown with the cosmonaut-mannequin Ivan Ivanovich on March 25, 1961. AP Photo/Sotheby's.
NEW YORK, NY.- Today at Sotheby’s, 50 years after Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to travel into outer space, the Vostok 3KA-2 Space Capsule that paved the way for his historic mission sold for $2,882,500 to Evgeny Yurchenko, chairman of the investment fund AS Popov. Mr. Yurchenko purchased the
icon of space history with the intention of returning it to his homeland, Russia. “The Vostok 3KA-2 space capsule is a historic artifact of the Soviet space program,” said Mr. Yurchenko in a statement. “Its successful return to Earth from space gave the green light for Gagarin’s spectacular achievement. Until now, the Vostok 3KA-2 space capsule was the only one of its kind outside of Russia, and with the support and participation of Sotheby’s I will be able to bring it home. It was especially meaningful to do so on April 12, 2011, the 50th anniversary ... More |
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After 46 Years, Jewelry Formerly Owned by by Pope Paul VI Up for Auction in North Carolina
The jewelry belonged to Pope Pius XII and then Paul VI who donated it to the United Nations to be auctioned as a fundraiser in 1965. AP Photo/Logan Wallace.
By: Tom Breen, Associated Press
RALEIGH (AP).- In the unlikely location of a North Carolina jewelry store near the beach, a lavishly jeweled cross and a ring once owned by Pope Paul VI sit under lock and key, awaiting transfer to an even less familiar venue for symbols of Roman Catholic authority: an eBay auction. The items have turned up at a Wilmington store owned by a Southern Baptist with a flair for self-promotion. It's the latest stop on a strange journey involving luminaries ranging from UN Secretary General U Thant to Evel Knievel, and which began with Paul VI's novel decision to allow some of his jewelry to be sold to raise money for charity. One of the items is a pectoral cross, given to clergy who attain the rank of bishop or higher to signify their ... More | | Intimate Images of Picasso by His Friend, Andre Villers, to Sell at Bonhams
Werner Bokelberg (German, born 1937), Picasso at St Tropez, 1965. Photo: Bonhams.
LONDON.- Four images of the celebrated Spanish painter, Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), are to be sold at Bonhams, New Bond Street, as part of its Photographs Sale on 19 May 2011. Three of the pictures - Picasso in front of ‘La Chute d’Icare’, Vallauris, 1957; Picasso à Vallauris, October, 1953; and Les Yeux de Picasso, Cannes, 1956 - were taken by French photographer, André Villers, with whom Picasso struck up a great friendship following a chance meeting on a street in Vallauris, France, in 1953, when Villers stopped to take Picasso’s picture. Each photograph has attracted a pre-sale estimate of £1,500 – 2,000. The fourth image was taken by German photographer, Werner Bokelberg. Entitled Picasso at St Tropez, 1965, it is estimated at £1,000 – 1,200. The sale also features portraits of icons including: Brigitte Bardot by British photographer Terry O’Neill (estimate £2,000 – 3,000); Jean Shr ... More | | Neues Museum in Berlin by David Chipperfield Wins Mies van der Rohe Award 2011
The original Neues Museum, designed by Friedrich August Stüler, was built in the mid-19th century. © Ute Zscharnt.
BRUSSELS.- The Neues Museum in Berlin is the winner of the 2011 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award, the European Commission and the Mies van der Rohe Foundation announced today. The building is a reconstruction, blending old and new, by UK architect Sir David Chipperfield. The ‘Emerging Architect Special Mention’ award goes to Ramon Bosch and Bet Capdeferro for the Collage House in Girona, Spain. The award ceremony will take place on 20 June at the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion in Barcelona. Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, said: “My congratulations to our winners who have created two exceptional buildings. The Neues Museum brings the past and present together in an stunning mix of ... More |
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Chinese Government Says It is "Unhappy" with Foreign Support for Artist Ai Weiwei
A pro-democracy protester holds a picture of detained Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. AP Photo/Kin Cheung.
BEIJING (REUTERS).- The Chinese government said on Tuesday it was "unhappy" with foreign support for detained artist and activist Ai Weiwei, after Ai's detention last week sparked an outcry from Washington and other Western governments."The Chinese people also feel baffled -- why do some people in some countries treat a crime suspect as a hero?" Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a regular news conference."The Chinese people are unhappy about this. No matter what influence they have had, they will be punished according to the law." Hong's comments come after China said on Sunday that the United States is beset by violence, racism and torture and has no authority to condemn other governments' human rights problems, countering ... More | | Unknown Drafts by Robespierre Included in Books & Manuscripts Sale at Sotheby's Paris
An extraordinary 113-page ensemble of unknown drafts by Robespierre, written at the height of the Terror.
PARIS.- The 107-lot sale of Books & Manuscripts at Sotheby’s Paris on 18 May 2011 will include an extraordinary 113-page ensemble of unknown drafts by Robespierre, written at the height of the Terror; a fascinating collection of letters from the House of Habsburg, spanning 1443-1823; first editions of works by Stendhal, Maupassant, Verlaine, Céline and Romain Gary; an unknown typescript of Le Petit Prince, illustrated with seven original drawings; handwritten texts by Jean Cocteau and Marcel Pagnol; and a delightful array of modern illustrated books – including the famous Pop Art masterpiece 1¢ Life – in decorative bindings by Legrain, Leroux and Jean de Gonet. The sale gets underway with an important, 17-lot ensemble consisting of personal, family and political correspondence from the Austrian House of Habsburg, From Charles V to ... More | | Gagosian Gallery in London Present Photographs from Vera Lutter's Egypt Series
Vera Lutter, Red and Bent Pyramid, Dahshur: April 14, 2010, 2010. Unique Silver Gelatin Print, 12 9/16 x 27 7/8 inches, 31.9 x 70.8 cm. Photo: Courtesy Gagosian Gallery.
LONDON.- Gagosian Gallery presents photographs from Vera Lutter’s Egypt series, on view from April 12 through May 21, 2011. In Lutter’s conceptual approach to the camera obscura, the apparatus records the outside world in a direct and immediate way. By choosing to retain the negative image as her final printed work, Lutter transforms the visual facts of her chosen environments into scenes reflecting on the twin realities of space and time. Her exposures can take days, or in some cases months, to produce and correlate with the scale of the photograph. Akin to x-rays, in these exposures the most stable and permanent aspects of environments emerge as spectral foci. And nowhere is this relationship ... More |
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 Countdown to Auctions America by RM's Debut in CarlisleCARLISLE, PA.- Auctions America by RM will raise the gavel for the first time at the Carlisle Expo Center on Thursday, April 28, kicking off its three-day sale held during Carlisle Events’ 2011 ‘Spring Carlisle’ show. The selection of motor cars on offer represents almost every decade of automobile production, ranging from pre-war classics to late model sports cars, with something suiting almost every collector’s budget. The star of the show is a lovely, original 1931 Cadillac Model 355 Roadster (estimate: $125,000 - $150,000). This automobile has approximately 74,900 miles reading on the odometer, and believed to be actual from new. It was formerly a part of the famed "Movie World" collection in Ventura , California and James Brucker Sr. used this car for many years as his personal driver (1950-1965). Although never restored, this 193 ... More Beck's Art Crawl Celebrating 25 Years of Beck's Art LabelsLONDON.- Beck’s Art Crawl presents the best of Beck’s Art Labels – offering an exclusive opportunity to win a limited edition print by leading contemporary artists including Tracey Emin, Jeff Koons and Tim Head. The Beck’s Art Crawl is on display from April 11th through April 28th, 2011. The Art Crawl celebrates 25 years of the pioneering and iconic Beck’s Art Label – another symbol of the independent thinking which started at the brand’s inception in 1874, when Beck’s broke away from convention by packaging Beck’s in a green bottle instead of the standard brown. The Beck’s Art Crawl presents the best of this distinctive archive of contemporary artwork in a unique exhibition. Eight of the most iconic Art Labels by leading international artists Tracey Emin, Jeff Koons, Bruce Mclean, Richard Long, Tim Head, Tony Oursler, Tim Noble & Sue Webster and Roderick Buchanan are showcase ... More Bonhams Sale of Motor Cars at Hendon Realises Over £2.25 MillionLONDON.- Bonhams sale of Motor Cars and Automobilia realised over £2.25 million on April 11th, with over 80% sold by lot and 70% sold by value. Set in the spectacular Royal Air Force Museum in Hendon, the sale attracted a large crowd and enthusiastic bidding. As expected, the phenomenal Ferraris, which formed part of a private collection and headlined the sale, were highly sought after. Of the four offered, three found new homes. Two of them - the 1999 Ferrari F50 Barchetta, built to commemorate the Maranello marque’s 50th anniversary, and the 1985 Ferrari 288GTO Berlinetta, one of the most desirable Ferraris of recent times, were sold ahead of the sale by private treaty, while the 2003 Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale, described in the catalogue as ‘a thoroughly modern automobile employing state-of-the-art technology’, sold at the auction to a Continental telephone bidder. Top prices were also paid for a 1901 De ... More Victoria & Albert Museum Presents Figures and Fictions: South African PhotographyLONDON.- The first UK exhibition of contemporary South African photography from the last ten years is shown at the V&A from April 12 through July 17, 2011. Figures and Fictions: Contemporary South African Photography features over 150 works by some of the most exciting and inventive photographers living and working in South Africa today. The exhibition presents the vibrant and sophisticated photographic culture that has emerged in post-apartheid South Africa. The works on display respond to the country’s powerful rethinking of issues of identity across race, gender, class and politics. The photographs depict people within their individual, family and community lives, practicing religious customs, observing social rituals, wearing street fashion or existing on the fringes of society. All the photographers question what it is to be human at this time in South Africa. The 17 photographers in the exhibition range ... More Billed as the Warhol of his Generation, Dave White Presents 'Americana' at The Coningsby GalleryLONDON.- Internationally acclaimed artist Dave White explores American heritage and the spirit of the West in his latest solo show. Entitled Americana, the exhibition will feature a series of large scale oil paintings in White’s trademark expressive style, alongside limited edition prints and works on paper. Taking place at The Coningsby Gallery, London from April 11th through April 30th, 2011, this exhibition highlights White’s ability to capture dynamic scenes with his distinctive impasto style, while presenting a pioneering approach to documenting the legacy of this era. The golden age of the Western movie era is encapsulated in White’s dynamic new series, which could be seen as an innovative interpretation of the classic film still. The cultural inspiration of this period is evident in the apocalyptic themes of battles and stand offs. The turbulence and explosive movements animated and presented thr ... More Iratxe Jai and Klaas van Gorkum at MUSAC's Laboratorio 987 LEON, SPAIN.- On 9 April the Laboratorio 987, MUSAC's independent project space, presented the second show of the Amikejo exhibition series, a specific project by artist pair Iratxe Jaio (Markina-Xemein, Vizcaya, Spain, 1976) and Klaas van Gorkum (Delft, The Netherlands, 1975). The Amikejo project, set to develop throughout 2011 over a series of four exhibitions, is curated by the independent curatorial office Latitudes (Max Andrews and Mariana Cánepa Luna), and structured around relational and spatial twinning. The four artist pairs in the cycle are Pennacchio Argentato (29/01/2011–03/04/2011), Iratxe jaio & Klaas van Gorkum (09/04/2011–12/06/2011), Uqbar Foundation (Mariana Castillo Deball and Irene Kopelman) (25/06/2011–11/09/2011), Fermín Jiménez Landa and Lee Welch (24/09/2011–15/01/2012). The Laboratorio 987 enters with Amikejo a new phase in its exhibition programming, focused on providing ... More Egypt to Form Special Force to Protect AntiquitiesCAIRO (AP).- Egypt's minister of antiquities says a special police force will be set up to protect archaeological sites and museums around the country, following a wave of vandalism and looting. Zahi Hawass told reporters Tuesday that authorities have been unable to protect antiquities because police personnel guarding the ancient sites were not armed. He also announced the retrieval of four artifacts of the 37 looted from the Egyptian Museum during the weeks of protest that eventually ousted President Hosni Mubarak. The artifacts belonged to the world famous ... More |
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